1. Field of the Invention
A magnetic latch device to secure a gate in a closed position to block an opening in a fence or other barrier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices and systems have been developed to prevent young children from entering a pool area without supervision including safety pool fences. Such safety pool fences usually include a self-latching device designed to operate automatically on closing the gate of the fence. These self-latching devices are designed to prevent the gate from being reopened without manual releasing of the mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,116 shows a self latching device to latch in two members which are otherwise movable relative to each other for use with a gate. The device comprises a latch arm mounted to one of the members movable between a latched position and a retracted position, and a retaining element with a permanent magnet mounted to the other member. The latch arm is normally spring biased in the retracted position but is moved by the magnetic field generated by the magnet to the latched position to secure the gate in a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,769 teaches a gate assembly for tensioned fences such as used to enclose the perimeter of home swimming pools. The gate in a preferred form is “U” shaped with no rigid bar at the top has the space between the bars of the gate filled with tensioned mesh fabric similar to the tensioned fence. The gate is supported by poles on each edge which provides spring closed hinging on one edge and an automatic latch at the opposite edge. The poles are pairs of poles at each side which together react to the tension of the fence without transferring the fence tension to the gate.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,511 relates to a magnetic latch system including a latch assembly and a keeper assembly. The keeper assembly includes a magnetically attractable keeper pin. The latch assembly includes a magnet and a movable internal lever to engage the keeper pin to move it away from the permanent magnet. The system may also include a lock to hold the internal lever in a fixed position so that it cannot be moved to move the keeper pin away from the magnet.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,405 shows a latching device for swimming pool gates including an automatic magnetic latch with a child resistant device to control access to the pool area. The child resistant device may include an operating handle at an elevated location to be out of the reach of the child and an alternative operating device is provided at a lower location with child resistance provided typically by a push button arrangement acting through a cam and cam follower to raise a latching arm against the biasing to the latching position.
Additional examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,195; U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,698; U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,026; U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,616; U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,435 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,390,035.